DragonBlood472 |
10 Eyre, Zor 998 YK
High above the heart of the City of Towers, a light rain falls on Sharn. Lyrandar Tower, one of the highest points of the city, is far removed from the toils down below. Only the Skyway blocks the perfect view of the rainy skies above. Passengers and crew continue to board and leave Roc's Talon, a sleek but impressive elemental galleon built of dark soarwood. A bell sounds, signaling the last call for passengers. Glancing at your orders, you know that viceroy Solia would have your hide if you missed your ride, or worse- assign you to deckhand duty for the next several months.
Though you have spent the last two days with your kinsmen in the Lyrandar Enclave, Captain Thariv habitually checks over your orders and identification papers as you board her vessel. Her Storm Mark glimmers across her face. She smiles as she hands your papers back, "No worries, cousin. As long as the winds hold, you'll be in Stormreach in three days. Your quarters are on first deck with the crew. We have capable hands, but should winds turn against us you'll be expected to help maintain the Talon. Other than a crew of Tharask prospectors, we have a few passengers hoping to see the wild continent, and our emissary K'exik. If you have any questions, flag me or my crew down." The young captain slaps you on the back as she urges you on board, reaching out to inspect the papers of the next passenger.
The deck is spacious, and half a dozen of your kin rush about to prepare the ship for launch. One or two passengers make their way down below, but the majority stay to witness the galleon's take off. Once everyone is on board, Captain Thariv takes the helm. You watch as her dragonmark flares to life, glowing blue and purple as she communes with the elemental bound to the airship. With a thrum and a crackle, a cerulean ring of energy bursts into view around the vessel. Many of the patrons awe at the marvel as the Roc's Talon lifts away from the dock. Flocking to the rails, they watch for the next few minutes as Sharn passes underneath.
Amidst the travelers, you see an aquatic elf standing on deck, his eyes closed in serenity as he enjoys the mist of rain. He stands quite tall for an elf, matching the height of most humans, his green hair whipping in the breeze. His dark green robes paint him as a man of faith.
Kiva d'Lyrandar |
Kiva grits her teeth as the other woman slaps her back. "Very well," Kiva mutters having already dismissed Captain Thariv from her thoughts.
Intrigued by the presence of the aquatic elf aboard the airship, Kiva slips her identification papers away before approaching the railing a few feet away from him. She lets her bag slide off her shoulder and onto the deck near her feet before leaning her back against the railing. While everyone else is looking out, she's looking in, watching the crowds and their mundane fascination with something she's seen many, many times. After a moment she shifts her gaze to take in the elf once more.
I wonder to whom he prays, a man of the cloth could be problematic.
DragonBlood472 |
Kiva, you notice the wooden symbol hanging about the elf's neck. The symbol appears to be an arranged piles of stakes or sharpened sticks.
The symbol of sharpened bones is that of the Devourer, a member of the Dark Six, worshiped in secrecy among civilized persons but more commonly accepted amongst barbaric peoples and monstrous cultures.
K'exik Alezara |
K'exik nods and takes a few steps closer to you, continuing in Elven. "Very true. But the Sovereign of Wave and Whelm's appetite can be hard to predict." The elf looks you over, his yellow eyes darting back and forth as he sizes you up. "I am known as K'exik Alezara. It is my pleasure to guide this vessel safely to the city of Stormreach." his accent is peculiar, and the difference between K'exik and his terrestrial kin is apparent. The gills at his neck open and close slowly, but it is clear that he is breathing air to speak.
Kiva d'Lyrandar |
Kiva narrows her eyes as the elf looks her over. "The emissary. My name is Kiva d'Lyrandar. I was sent to aid in the investigation. So tell me, emissary, why were you selected to guide this vessel?" She makes no move forward, maintaining her relaxed pose against the railing.
K'exik Alezara |
The elf likewise makes no effort to close the distance between you. "I have lived in the Thunder Sea for the entirety of my years, when traveling through the bluffs and reefs known as Shargon's Teeth a guide is necessary. On the water, the sea devils are renowned for their ability to navigate the straits, among other things. Though you travel by airship, caution is still insisted by your superiors. Although I cannot sway the storms, I am able to assist in navigating through them, as well as interfacing with whatever we may encounter within." His words are deliberate and chosen carefully.
DragonBlood472 |
Sharn soon falls away from the horizon, and all that can be seen are green seas and grey skies with the occasional ship spotted down below sailing to or from Sharn's port.
A couple of the passengers remain on deck, but the majority of them have retreated to their quarters or the lounge below.
DragonBlood472 |
1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 5 + 2 = 27
The skies remain overcast, but now and then the clouds part for a brief glance of a sunlit sea. The elemental ring hums as Roc's Talon glides through the air. Half of the deck crew remain up top, checking rigging and securing the life rings, while you are informed that the other four deckhands are sleeping until their shift begins this evening. A golden bell rings the luncheon hour, and the remaining topside passengers head down into the galley and lounge. Captain Thariv d'Lyrandar keeps her hands steady on the wheel and her eyes on the horizon.
Two half-orcs and their larger orc accomplice make their way towards the galley doors. The ship pitches slightly and the burly orc bumps into you. "So'ry Miss." he rumbles as he rights himself. The trio make their way to the below decks.
Perception Check, please.
As the orc bumped into you, the half-orcs took the opportunity to rummage through Kiva's pack.
Kiva d'Lyrandar |
"I wonder what threats lie on the ship..."
When the bell rings, she straightens, grabs her bag and flings it over her shoulder, "I think that I'll take the chance to eat while it's still hot."
Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
When the orc bumps into her she scowls, "Imbecile!" She brushes at her clothes as if he's somehow sullied them.
DragonBlood472 |
Half of the second deck is reserved for the galley and lounge, a place for patrons and crew to eat, drink, and mingle during their journey. A rotund halfling stands behind the bar, serving drinks and hot meals with laughter and good spirits. Maps and tomes are spread out on a table where a dwarf sits looking over them intently, his warforged bodyguard stands behind him. Several Tharashk prospectors occupy a few tables, including the orc brute and his two cronies. A few of the crew members relax and gamble with a charismatic traveler. The rest of the guests and crew are elsewhere on the ship. The air is filled with sweet scents of cooking meats, a haze of smoke, and the sound of revelry.
Kiva d'Lyrandar |
Kiva makes her way to the bar where she waits her turn before inquiring about the different selections. Once she's chosen, she carries her food to the nearest empty - or nearly empty table closest to the door she entered from. As she sits with her back to the wall she watches the rest of the room, listening in on what bits of the conversations she can catch.
Percception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
DragonBlood472 |
The chef introduces himself as Barnabas and hands you a plate of spiced sausages and a tankard of Brelish ale. The dwarf mutters to himself as he pours over maps, sometimes asking a rhetorical question to his guard who only nods in agreement with its master. The shardseekers are loud and boisterous in their conversation about what siberys finds they will uncover in the jungles, and the ship's crew seem to be losing many days wages in Three Dragon Ante with the gentleman patron.
The passengers of the Roc's Talon seem in good spirits this afternoon.
Kiva d'Lyrandar |
After finishing her food Kiva approaches the dwarf and warforged, curious as to what it is that they're looking for in the maps. "Pardon, I can't help but to wonder what it is that you're searching so hard for in these maps?"
DragonBlood472 |
The dwarf looks up and composes himself. "No, pardon me. Zain ir'Perryn, at your service." he speaks with a heavy Brelish accent as he extends a hand bedecked in golden rings. The gold-plated warforged tenses, but it makes no other movement. "My granfather, Rorrick ir'Perryn, fool that he was, gallivanted in his youth. As I have come into the estate, I wish to not follow in his footsteps, but reclaim the magical armaments he carried with him. Family legend holds that Rorrick fell to some poison or malady in the Lost Continent, and with the help of an augur and a few Tharashk guides, I have narrowed the possibilities down to four locations. Once we reach Stormreach I plan to hire a group to help me recover my family's heirlooms... assuming the black-skinned devils haven't sold the relics or they aren't lying in the belly of some thunder lizard."
The nobleman gestures to the maps, conflicting aged parchments of outposts and outdated jungle trails. "Pah. I'll be lucky to return home with all of my beard, much less Grandfather's arms. Are you part of the crew? I haven't spoken with any of you besides the chef and the first mate when I made my arrangements for passage. I assure you my papers are in order."
DragonBlood472 |
The eight golden rings that Zain ir'Perryn sports mark him as a member of the Aurum, a wealthy organization that focuses on history and its treasures. Nothing other than the name of the organization comes to mind, however, and it seems that the group keeps a low profile.
Kiva d'Lyrandar |
Kiva takes his hand in her own briefly before releasing it once more, "No, I'm not with the crew. I'm being sent on House business. I hear that there have been some nasty storms over Stormreach lately. Getting there itself might pose a danger."
DragonBlood472 |
"To you as well, Lady d'Lyrandar." the dwarf's attention returns to his maps.
The gilded guard nods slightly. "Safe travels." the warforged states in an emotionless bass. The green lenses of its eyes flash and though you cannot see pupils, you know its gaze follows you.
K'exik Alezara |
The aquatic elf unlatches the door and opens it. His chambers are very sparse save for a large metal bathtub, and the only accessory you notice that was not on his person is a bone trident leaning against the wall. "Kiva d'Lyrandar," his golden eyes look down. He stretches out a webbed hand and gestures to his room. "Please, come inside and take a seat. What is it that you wish to discuss?"
K'exik Alezara |
The emissary closes and latches the door to his chambers. He turns a chair around for Kiva before sitting cross-legged on the floor. He is quiet for several moments, letting the silence wash over the room. At last he speaks, "Travelers coined the title of the Thunder Sea in ages past for the ever-present storms that wrack the waters. Smugglers used the cover of rain and cloud to escape navies, and the civilized world of Khorvaire had nearly forgotten about the Lost Continent until recent centuries. There have always been stormy skies in this region, but that is not the answer you seek. There is something hiding in the storms. Something is keeping the weather this way. Many vessels and sailors have been sent to the Devourer lately. Members of your House have grown concerned because the agents they have sent through the area have not been able to dissipate the weather as usual."
Kiva d'Lyrandar |
Kiva sits and after a moment of silence, she leans back in the chair crossing her arms and legs, and waits with an eyebrow raised.
"Any thoughts on what this thing is hiding in the storms?"
Sounds like a suicide mission. Maybe they've finally decided to rid themselves of me once and for all. Surely there were more qualified people, with more control of the weather that they could have chosen for this?
K'exik Alezara |
K'exik nods. "Mae'r storm yn cael ei calmest yn y llygad." The storm is calmest at the eye. He glances to the window of his quarters, the glass streaked with rain. "Another day of sailing will bring us to the edge of the storm if your captain holds her course. There are a few hours until sunset, when I will be asked for."